"I learned a lot from you as a player, partner, opponent and man" - PSG star Kylian Mbappe sends message to Lionel Messi on his birthday

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappe sent birthday wishes to Lionel Messi on Saturday (June 24). The Argentine celebrates his 36th birthday today.

Mbappe wrote in an Instagram post:

"Happy birthday legend. @Leo Messi. I wish you the best possible day with your family and friends. Thank you for these 2 years together in Paris, I learned a lot from you as a player, partner, opponent and man. For that alone I am grateful. Good luck on your new adventure."

Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi shared the pitch 99 times during their time together at PSG, combining for a total of 34 goals. The duo won three titles together in the French capital, including two Ligue 1 titles.

Kylian Mbappe slams treatment of Lionel Messi at PSG

During his PSG stint, Lionel Messi was often the subject of fans' wrath and was jeered multiple times. Messi also received criticism from experts. Overall, Messi mostly bore the brunt of the criticism whenever the team underperformed.

Mbappe, however, was unhappy with this treatment and slammed the media for their actions. In a recent interview with Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mbappe said:

"We're talking about potentially the best player in the history of football. It's never good news when someone like Messi leaves. Personally, I haven't really understood why so many people were relieved that he was leaving."

He added:

"We're talking about Messi, he should be respected, but instead, he didn't get the respect he deserved in France. It's a shame but that's how it went. He'll have to be replaced as best as possible."

Messi represented the Parisian club for two seasons between 2021 and 2023. He played 75 matches for the team, scoring 32 goals and providing 34 assists. Overall, it was a rather underwhelming stint in France given the Argentine's high standards.